Ah, the continuation of sounds mysteries. Thanks this week go to Dr B-Dawg, Wifey, and JW. Usually I attempt to write something pithy here as in introduction. No such luck today!

On to the questions:1. Why do so many people insist that records have better quality than digital for music? I think vinyl-philes feel that records are better because of the imperfections. If you ask them, they like the “pop” of the needle touching the record. They like the low hiss of the record where there is not supposed to be any sound. Basically it is nostalgia. No one who did not grow up with records think the sound quality of records is better.

2. There is a certain solemnity when putting on a record that I don't get. What is that about?Again, this is a visceral reaction to people who grew up with records. There was an interactivity to the process of putting a record on the turn-table that is just not present with cd’s or other digital music. Hitting the play button or double clicking on a file is no where near as interactive as plcing the needle in the groove. 3. Have you ever heard a “who” or is that more due to Horton's superior sense of hearing?I have heard “the Who” but never a “who.” I love me some Dr Suess but he really did try to shove his own personal political opinions on kids all the time. Why the anti-abortion establishment has not latched onto “Horton Hears a Who” is beyond me.

4. When was the last time that you and your co-workers broke out into a spontaneous song and dance of "Cleveland Rocks!"3 Thursdays ago, but it was all for the irony of it, because everyone knows that Cleveland does not indeed rock.

5. What did you like to sing in the shower/car?Shower: Nothing, don’t want to attract Little Man’s attention to the warm shower’s cocoon. He does enjoy opening the bathroom door and allowing the heat to escape.The Car: Who Can it be Now, by Men at Work. This is Little Man’s favorite.

6. Besides the obvious spots, what part of your body makes the most noise?My crackly knees.

8. Why is it called sounding-off. I don't get it.Initially it was how soldiers alerted command of who was still on the line, so I am not sure how the phrase came to mean when someone gave their unwanted opinion.

9. If a tree could scream would we still keep cutting them down?Depends if they were always screaming*.

11. Why didn’t Lord Pithy ask you about “Tintinnabulum,” it is, like, his favorite word ever?I was surprised I didn’t get a question about this as well. He is nothing if not predictable.

12. What's the last sound you'd like to hear before you die. (Not that I'm planning anything).I am sorry your Wife had to go like that. Just kidding Wifey, as I am sure you were… I have my eye on you!

13. I find it interesting that changing one small word, even if it's a word in the same general category can completely change the meaning of something. For example, Nirvana's “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, would have been totally different if titled, “Sounds like Teen Spirit.” Likewise, the “Smell of Silence” isn't all that catchy. Yet we're simply interchanging to very similar words in the same general category (senses). Explain."The Smell of Silence" is a deadly, deadly title. The same can be said for any of the words in those titles. “Smells Like Adolescent Spirit”, “Smells Like Teen Verve”, “Smells the same as Teen Spirit”. None of those work either. Think of how many songs there could be out there that are great songs with crappy titles.

14. What sound creates Pavlovian salivation when you hear it?Honestly they all have to be in context which removes the Pavlovian aspect of the sounds’ response.

15. What sound makes you want to gouge your eyes out?An ex-co-op here at the workplace had the whiniest voice. I swear I wanted to just make that noise stop. Oh, and microphone feedback

16. “Blood curdling screams.” Can blood actually curdle?Not that I know of. It can coagulate, but “curdling” implies “souring” and really blood never goes bad?

17. Which sound is worse to wake to? The unrelenting, piercing electronic wails of an alarm clock after 5 snoozes, or the sound of the garbage truck reminding you that you forgot to take out the trash, and have about 1 minute before you're stuck with a weeks worth of trash on top of the coming weeksThe alarm clock. I can always store the garbage outside to tick off the neighbors.

18. What's your favorite summer sound?Crickets at night. For some reason I find this soothing.

19. Onomatopoeia, how cool a word is that?As far as words go, it is up there with squad, pointy, shiny, and Ka-Plow

20. Is there a difference between train horns?Okay, in my relative inexperience with trains (I am not a railfanner, Little Man is and I try to accommodate that) I have noticed that there are nuances associated with both the make and model of the train as well as the company. For example, there is a difference between the SD40-2’s and the AC4400’s. We rarely see the 4400’s. At the local crossing, Norfolk Southern is the primary rail service, but CSX has a rail there as well. It seems that the NS trains and the CSX trains have different horn sounding regulations. CSX just lays on the horn and doesn’t stop for a long time, while NS goes for a few short bursts. Oh, God! Kill me now….

To recap:I know way too much about trains for not really liking them that much.It is hectic here in SRH-villeI need more PTOAnd less orange riceI am still rather sleep deprivedNot necessarily sleep depraved thoughI need to exercise more and sleep moreGuess which one I will attempt to catch up on firstHere is a hint: It doesn’t involve an elliptical